The Freudian View of Pueblo Native American Religion
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A 5 page overview of the views of Sigmond Freud on organized religion. Illustrates the complex ceremonial and religious life of the Pueblo people using the Hopi ceremony and belief extensively in examples. Suggests that Freud would view these beliefs not only as an illusion but also as a delusion, that the Pueblo were a misguided people who were in serious error regarding their separation of the real world from that of the spiritual world. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: PPnaFreu.wps

Free Will / Calvin, Descartes & Hegel
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A 6 page paper that considers what the response of these philosophers would be to the question: 'does it make any difference whether or not people have free will ?' Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Freew.wps

Free Will versus Determinism
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5 pages. Critics have long questioned the theory of free will, arguing that it is difficult to realistically determine if people exhibit certain behaviors out of fear of consequence or because they have the power to take control of their own lives. On the other hand, determinism contends that all of our acts are pre-determined. This paper discusses both sides of these philosophical questions in view of the books Free Will by Gary Watson and Essays on Actions and Events by Donald Davidson. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: JGAfwill.wps

Changes in Approaches to Epistemology
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A 10 page essay on the viability of epistemology as a theory. Known as the ‘theory of knowledge,' epistemology is discussed in philosophical circles as something that may or may not be alive and functioning: its critics say that the changes in the approaches from the traditional to the analytic has destroyed its practice. Those critics, however, fail to take into account the rapidity and drama of the changes in the world today, and that cultural biases now also must be accounted for in any study of knowledge. The theory is argued to be viable and functioning, even by groups that may be unaware of its formal name. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: Epistem.wps

Logic of Scientific Inquiry
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Epistemology, or the basic logic and assumptions that underlie systematic, scientific inquiry is based on the fact that scientific knowledge as 'responding construction' is dependent on cognitive relations to reality other than those generated through the senses and through theoretical reflection, which includes the experience of judgment rooted in the self-awareness of the subject. Another approach to analysis of the practices of knowing is critical scrutiny of the sociohistorical context of research programs. The socio-cognitive perspective purports that ideas about reality are constructed through interactions that are processes of meaning creation. This 20 page paper examines different knowledge systems, the purpose of research, the processes of deductive and inductive reasoning, nomothetic and idiosyncratic approaches and normal as compared to revolutionary science. It looks at many of the elements of scientific method such as causality, correlation, necessary and sufficient conditions and types of theories. Bibliography lists 24 sources.
Filename: KTinquire.wps

Working Definitions of Epistemology
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This 5 page report discusses “the branch of philosophy that studies the nature of knowledge” and the ways in which issues are generally understood within the framework of those doing the understanding. It is important to understand that subjectivity is the primary factor that determines the how an issue is interpreted. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: BWepisto.wps

Zagzebski's 'Virtues of Mind'
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A 6 page paper on Linda Zagzebski's 'Virtues of the Mind: An Inquiry into the Nature of Virtue and the Ethical Foundations of Knowledge,' which argues that Zagzebski's theory is valid and based on an inclusive study of why people act on knowledge, and where knowledge is based. The paper posulates that her intent is to not seek to rewrite the current theories, but to combine them. Theories used for the basis of her thesis include: epistemology (virtue), and philosophical and psychological bases of knowledge. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Zagzebsk.rtf

The Philosophical Perspective of Charles S. Peirce
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A 7 page research paper that examines four essays by Charles S. Peirce is regarded as one of America¹s greatest philosophers and perhaps the nation¹s greatest semiotician. The writer demonstrates through the medium of the four essays that Peirce's views on cognition and intuition stayed consistent throughout his career. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: 90peirce.rtf

Plato -- Father of Totalitarianism ?
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A 15 page report that contains a review of the literature to support a discussion about whether Plato's philosophical theories in The Republic was the beginning of totalitarianism. The ideal government structure as envisioned by Plato is compared to modern day totalitarian governments. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: Platotot.wps